Hunger Games Galaxies: District 8
by War292004
Summary: The eighth district of the Hunger Games Galaxies, the world of Terca Lumereis. May the odds be ever in your favorite characters' favor. Part 8/13
1. Chapter 1

**The Hunger Games Galaxies: District 8**

Our world… Terca Lumireis. No one knows how far its lands and oceans stretch, except for the Gods. Barriers protect the cities in which we live, and we depend on them for our survival. But things aren't always that easy, and, sometimes, survival is not guaranteed. The Gods make sure of that. The Reaping is a constant reminder of how little control we really have over our lives.

It happens each year. The Coliseum in Nordopolica fills up with desperate families and the children of the Empire, the Guilds, and the Kritya. It's the one time of year when we all come together, regardless of our differences, if only because the Gods demand it. Nobody is foolish enough to ignore the warnings of the Great Ones.

Ioder and I are always among those reaped. We have to be, to placate the people. Futile though it may be, we cannot allow anyone to rise up against the Gods. And so, each year, we've made the journey, travelling with the upper class children while the lower and middle class move along behind us. There's an unspoken pact, however, one made with the Gods long ago. If either of us are selected, the other remains safe. The same would go for the leadership of the Guilds, were Don Whitehorse to have any children of his own. And the Kritya, too.

"Estellise…?" asked Ioder, suddenly. "Are you okay?"

"Oh… yes," I replied, smiling. "Thank you, Ioder, I'm just nervous."

"Well I can imagine why," he replied, smiling back at me. "This year's reaping has been full of surprises. The age restrictions moving in either direction is unheard of… and I hope it goes back to the way it used to be next year."

"Me too," I said. It was supposed to be my last year. Now, I'm not sure.

"If you don't mind my asking… do you know the fates of your friends?" asked Ioder.

I wasn't certain. I knew Karol had to go back to Dahngrest to participate in their initial reaping, as did Rita to Aspio. Judith likely returned to Myorzo, too. I hadn't seen Yuri or Flynn yet either, so I really couldn't ask. I prayed that none of them had been selected.

"We will soon arrive. Try to get some rest," Ioder told me. "If you're anything like me, you probably didn't sleep to well last night."

He was right. I never do; I always awake with horrible nightmares of the faces of the past tributes. Though we've done fairly well for ourselves in the past quarter century (we've had seven victories in that time, tied for the most with District 9), that still means there's been another 40-some odd children who never came back to Terca Lumireis once they were taken. But, despite the nightmares, the exhaustion took its toll on me and I fell asleep for the rest of the journey.

When I awoke, we had already been parked and stabled. Around us, the other Upper class families and children were taken towards the chamber, where they would be groomed and prepared for the reaping itself. I hate this part, too; they always tried to make you up to parade you around before even the main part of the Hunger Games began. This only applied to the Upper class, though some Guilds did it as well. They were the ones who would often get the best sponsors; the Kritya, and lower classes of the Empire were always left to fend for themselves.

"Estelle!"

I turned at the call, my heart leaping simultaneously with my stomach rapidly dropping out beneath me. Yuri was running towards me, trailed by Karol and Rita. Seeing their faces made it easier for me, but there was no way they'd made the journey to watch the Reaping live. That could only mean one thing…

"Y-yeah, we were sent here for the Reaping," said Karol.

"It's a pain, more than anything," Rita said, sighing. "I knew I'd be going again. Aspio only has so many eligible people, I can't help wondering if the age restriction thing is only because of us."

"It's applied unilaterally to all Districts, so I doubt that," I replied. "But… still… I wish you all the best of luck. May the odds be ever in your favor!"

"Specifically to not get picked," said Yuri, flashing a grin. "I ran into Judy earlier. She's going in with us, same with that idiot Flynn. Would you believe that he volunteered in the initial reaping?"

Yes. Flynn's done that every year since he became eligible, and he even tried it the past couple of years, too. But now that they lifted the age restriction, he and Yuri were both able to volunteer. I knew that's how he got here… but I decided not to let him know that I was onto him just yet.

"Any sign of the Old Man?" asked Rita.

"Raven? I… don't think he'll come," said Karol. "Don Whitehorse pretty firmly informed him that he was going to be staying in Dahngrest for the duration of this year's Reaping."

"That's such a shame," I said. "I was hoping to see him again…"

"Don't worry, Estelle, if you get picked I'm certain you'll get several volunteers," said Rita. "Who in their right mind would let the heiress to the Empire go into the arena?"

"Yeah…" I said, sighing. It was probably true. But I didn't want anyone to fight on my behalf.

"Let's get in there and get this over with," said Yuri.

I tried to get past the make-up people, but I stood out from the crowd like a sore thumb for some reason, and they instantly found me. So I was whisked away from the others and prettied up for the arena. They had me in a large ball gown that was incredibly tough to move in, and so much make-up caked on my face that I felt like a cake with slightly too much icing. Ioder had a matching suit; they were clearly trying to match us up again.

"Remember, stand with Ioder during the opening ceremonies; make sure the cameras are on you," said one of my aides.

"I don't see what the big deal is," scoffed one of the other aides. "Rumor has it that there's no sponsors this year."

"That's crazy talk; that's a mainstay of the Games!" exclaimed another woman I didn't know.

"Don't hold me to it, just passing it on. Lady Estellise, please step into these shoes…" added the first woman.

They hurt even more and made it even harder to walk in. Why I couldn't just wear my battle uniform was beyond me. It would show potential sponsors that I was ready to fight, and not just a vapid figurehead like that princess from District 6…

"It's time," they finally announced. "Potential tributes, please make your way to the arena at this time."

I stumbled along in the group. Still only Upper Class; there had to be at least a hundred of us. Did the Empire send more Upper Class kids than usual this year, or was I just imagining it? We walked into the arena, which was abuzz with chatter and occasional clapping. The fighting guilds' children were often celebrate when they were picked. The Hunting Blades were the guild responsible for our most recent victor, and she was only twelve at the time. But today things were much more subdued. Rumors seemed to be continuing to spread, and worried looks and whispers passed through each section.

"Hello!" came a cheerful call.

Judith looked beautiful, too, though I wasn't really sure why she went with her battle uniform. I wasn't surprised to see that her lance was gone, though; they don't let us bring weapons into the arena for obvious reasons. She grabbed my hand and began to drag me away from Ioder, who seemed confused at first.

"I… I think I'm supposed to stay with Ioder," I muttered.

"Oh? You'd rather stand with him than with Brave Vesperia, your bodyguards?" asked Judith, her voice sliding into her sarcastic, high octave. "My, my I would have thought you'd prefer our company."

"Oh, no! No, it's not that," I said, flustered. "It's just that I…"

Judith chuckled. "I'm joking. But you're still standing with us. What's the Empire going to do? Steal you from the Reaping pit with all those cameras and Peacekeepers around?"

She was right, as always. The blastia-powered cameras were floating around, taking in the crowd and the potential tributes as well. I remember in previous Reaping watching how they'd always zoom in on the face of particularly well-known or talked-about tributes, not to mention constantly focusing on Ioder and me. The Peacekeepers would never let anyone interfere with the show, either.

"Glad you would deign to join us," said Yuri, grinning as I walked up with Judith.

"I'm glad you would have me with you," said Estelle. "You've showed me so much more… but I'm sorry you ended up here."

"Eh, it's the luck of the draw," said Yuri, shrugging. "Hopefully this will really be my last year this time. I doubt it though."

"Don't say that," said Karol. "I can't imagine having to do this more years than I really have to…"

"This is Karol's first time getting Reaped," said Yuri, patting him on the head. "I'd say he's doing really well."

"I bawled during my first Reaping," said Rita. "I think they even got it on camera. And then I just stopped caring. Honestly, I'd probably just take out anyone who attacked me in the arena. Just need to get one of those magic rods, maybe some sort of whip or something first. Then I'm unstoppable."

Rita always talked fast when she was nervous, and since they'd taken away most of her tools, she had nothing to distract herself with. It was a relief that someone in our group was honestly feeling as nervous as I was, besides Karol of course. He was shaking. But Judith and Yuri both looked… well… bored.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it is time to begin the Reaping!" called a voice over the loud speaker.

Belius always did the honor of the Reaping. But she never showed her face, much to the chagrin of many in the Empire. But, she was a representative of the Gods, and nobody was about to argue it. Her servant, Natz, would draw the actual name, and take it to a wall from within which Belius read the name. We were the only District who didn't have their representative on stage at all times.

"I have been asked to give you special messages from the Gods," said Belius, after she'd lead them through the introductory chants and hymns. "First… as many of you are already aware, our age restriction has been extended several years in either direction, permitting younger and older tributes alike to enter, resulting in a higher number of possible tributes.

"Second, as the rumors have it… there will be no sponsoring of tributes this year. This year it will be all about using one's own wits and the area around them to survive. Tributes will not be necessary."

There was an outcry at this from the Upper Class side, as well as some of the Guilds. If their children had no combat experience, they practically relied on those sponsors to provide their kids with the weapons, armor, medicine, and whatever else they needed to get through the Hunger Games. The Peacekeepers began to stir, looking for trouble makers, and the crowd soon quieted.

"I am not yet at liberty to announce the third change for this year; that is forthcoming after we select our two tributes. As per usual, Natz, please select our female tribute," said Belius.

That was one thing I was really thankful. Belius kept everything moving as quickly as she could, and didn't stop to dwell on the tributes and the Reaping, which made it much easier to stomach. Natz approached the large bowl that held the names of every young woman and girl in the arena here. He grabbed one and headed for the narrow slot in the wall in which it was inserted. I felt my breath catch, and Rita and Yuri both suddenly grabbed my hand. I was shocked to see that all of Brave Vesperia was holding hands with each other; a rare sign of unity between all three groups.

"Single name… Judith from Myorzo, please approach the stage!" Belius called out.

I gasped, and could almost instantly feel the tears coming. But I had to stay strong… Judith wanted sponsors who thought she came from good, strong friends… but… there were no sponsors this year… so what did it matter…? And before I knew it, Judith was walking away from us, heading for the stage with her Peacekeeper escort. There were a lot of whistles and catcalls from the young men up in the seats above the stadium. Judith kept a smile on her face and waved at them, taking her spot on the stage next to Natz. After the applause died down (as did my initial tears), Natz picked from the boys' bowl.

"Yuri Lowell, please approach the stage!" Belius called out, after a short pause.

"No!" I shrieked. I couldn't help it. Not Yuri, too!

"Estelle, don't worry about me," said Yuri. "We'll get out of this somehow."  
"But…!" I cried. But then I let it go. Even if there were no sponsors, the other Districts would be looking for easy kills. I had to be strong, for the sake of the district. So, I just smiled at him. "M-may the odds be ever in your favor."

He turned and strode away. Karol was in such shock that he was speechless, and Rita was likewise struck dumb. I wished I could find Flynn and see what he thought about the situation. Yuri shook off his guards and strode ahead, leaping up the stairs to the stage and coolly approaching Judith. They stood close enough to the microphone so that they could be heard.

"Well. This just got a lot harder," Judith said. "I was so sure I could win, until now."

"Yeah, I am pretty tough. Hope we don't end up with each other on the battlefield," said Yuri, laughing.

I didn't understand how there could be laughter. Two tributes finishing from the same District was not a laughing matter. There could only be one victor. So those two from District 4 had to fight each other to the death… granted that was nearly sixty years ago, but I didn't want to see that happen to two friends of mine. And with our luck, it absolutely would happen. The crowd seemed to enjoy their banter, though. It broke the tension, and nervous laughter erupted from the families whose children were now safe. But Belius finally had to cut it off.

"There will be more time for such things during your interviews. For now, I present to you all the two tributes for District 8: Yuri Lowell, and Judith. Please extend to them the honor and pleasure of District 8's support," she said.

I couldn't bring myself to cheer. Not this time. Rita and Karol, likewise, looked put out. I thought about the others. Did Raven already know what was happening? Of course he did… he's Raven. What about Repede? The poor dog must be heartbroken… and that's when I made up my mind. I was going to take care of Repede until the tournament was over. I had no doubt that Yuri or Judith could win… but how was I supposed to choose a favorite? I knew that, up in the stands, wagers were already being placed solely on our District. Who would survive longer? Who would rack up the most kills? Who would have the best performance? I guess the 'who would get more sponsors' bets were null, but they'd find something else macabre to wager on... they always did.

And now what was I going to do? Without them, there'd be no way the castle would let me continue travelling… why was it that our journey had to end so abruptly? Was there no other way for me to escape…? After there was so much more of this world to see…? Everything really began to overwhelm me, and I felt my head get light. My vision got cloudy, and I felt myself falling to my knees as Karol and Rita's cries for me echoed around my head.

**Author's Notes:**

**Short explanation time on how this whole ordeal is going to work!**

**The games themselves are still in progress, so for now I'm only doing the intro stuff. All events that take place in the Districts will be in their appropriately-titled stories in the proper crossover section. Once that's all taken care of and it collapses into one story, I'll put the title at the end of each District Introduction Section (or just click on my author name to find it yourself). **

**The entire story is being decided solely on a complicated series of dice rolls, to prevent bias on my part and to make it so even I have no idea how this is going to end or who is going to win. **

**Let me be clear: this is not going to be an "everyone bands together and fights the evil powers and they all survive" story. As of writing this paragraph, twelve tributes are dead. So if you see your favorite character selected… well, don't get mad if they don't make it through.**

**That's all for now. May the odds be ever in your (favorite characters') favor.**

**ALSO: Starting from here-on, I've put the schedule of updates on my profile, so you can know when the next installments of my stories are coming out. It's not going to be perfect due to my job, so I might miss a few deadlines here and there, but, overall, it's a good indicator of when you can expect things to be out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Hunger Games Galaxies**

**District 8 Introduction: Part 2**

My vision as still blurry, and I could vaguely hear Karol and Rita talking to me, vaguely shaking me. I shook my head and was surprised to find myself lying on my side. Around us, several turned to stare at me, but nobody bothered to help, nor to make a fuss. My fainting spell seemed mostly unnoticed, except for a couple of Peacekeepers, who were trying to make their way discreetly through the audience towards me. Rita swore.

"We can't let them take you away… you won't get to say goodbye to the others," she muttered.

"B-but what can we do?" asked Karol. "We can't fight them off… we'll get killed."

"What seems to be going on here?" asked the stern voice of the Peacekeeper.

"I-I'm s-sorry," I said, shakily climbing to my feet. "I… I just got really dizzy…"

"We will escort you to a resting area until the Reaping has finished, then," said the second Peacekeeper. "Come with us."

"N-no!" I cried. "I… I want to stay here… I want to say goodbye and…"

"You run the risk of further disrupting the ceremony; this is unacceptable," said the first Peacekeeper. "Come with us, now."

"Leave it alone," snarled Rita. "You're speaking to one of the Empire's future heiresses, you knave."

"Do you really think we give a damn about some District-level bureaucrat?" hissed the first Peacekeeper. "I ought to have you arrested for—."

"And therefore, the Gods have decreed that, from each District, we shall Reap a second group of tributes, ensuring this year's Hunger Games provides even more entertainment than the last!"

I recognized the voice immediately; it was the Voice of the Gods. Screams tore through the stadium, but my brain just couldn't process it quickly enough. Another… another round of tributes? And… when did the Voice start talking? What else had I missed? Rita and Karol seemed equally confused and shocked at first, but Rita quickly regained her composure and turned to smugly look at the Peacekeeper.

"You see? You can't take her, now. She might get Reaped. And what do you think is going to happen to you two if the Gods find out that you interrupted their precious Reaping?" asked Rita, a vile smirk on her face.

"Tch… fine. But after the girl's name is called, if she so much as wobbles, she's coming with us," said the first Peacekeeper.

The two retreated fairly quickly out of the crowd, which closed up behind them. Around us, the remaining possible tributes were still recovering from their shock. Many cried, others looked frantically into the stands, searching for friends and family. There was still a bit of panic and indignation from family members up in the stands, and the Peacekeepers were already working on quieting the most vocal of the fighters. But as soon as Belius spoke again, everyone fell silent.

"As it is the will of the Gods, I shall now have the second two tributes selected," she said. After Natz handed a second slip through the wall, she spoke. "From 'Hunting Blades Guild,' single name: Nan. Please approach the stage."

Karol let out a frightened and surprised squeal at this. From over where the other Guilds stood, many of the Hunting Blades began to roar their disapproval, as did a large section of the stage. But Nan strode forward, her head held high and proud. I couldn't even imagine someone her age being so brave in facing the challenge.

"Lady Estellise, are you okay?" came a voice directly behind me.

Flynn had worked his way through the crowd and stood behind me. Karol and Rita gasped when they saw him, but I quickly gave him a hug. With Yuri gone, it was nice to at least have Flynn around for support… but his face was grim. I knew he must have been hurting from seeing his friend Reaped.

"I'm perfectly fine… sorry to worry you," I said. "And… I'm sorry about Yuri…"

"I should have volunteered," said Flynn. "I just… never expected it to be him. And by the time the shock wore off… it was too late."

"Well… to be fair…" Rita said. "Do you really think he would have let you volunteer for him?"

Flynn chuckled. "No, you're right. We would have ended up literally fighting and… that wouldn't be good for anyone in District 8."

Nan finally reached the stage. Yuri and Judith nodded at her, smiling, but she completely ignored them and instead walked to the microphone, where she loudly and proudly declared that she would not accept any offers of volunteers, and that she had every intention of bringing the win home for District 8, especially to the Hunting Blades. There was a roar of approval from her fellow guild mates. She took a few steps back, but kept her distance from Yuri and Judith.

"Very well," said Belius. "Natz, the second male's name, if you please?"

"Lady Estellise… Estelle," Flynn finally said. "I want you to be safe… do as they tell you. The Peacekeepers have trumping authority over the Empire, so, no matter what happens, I want you to be safe."

I turned away from Natz inserting the paper into the slot, to turn and look at Flynn. He looked past me, up to the stage. Something worried me about this, but just as I opened my mouth to ask him, Belius made her announcement.

"From 'Brave Vesperia' guild… single name: Karol Capel, please approach the stage," said Belius.

"I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!" roared Flynn.

Karol barely had time to register his own shock before Flynn was running for the stage. He blew past the Peacekeepers and was on the stage in mere seconds. Even from the far distance, I could see the shock in Nan's eyes, as well as Judith's vague surprise, and Yuri's fury. Flynn stood next to him, his head held high and his back straight, and Yuri looked like he wanted to punch his head clean off.

"He… volunteered just like that?" asked Rita, sounding faint. "What… what an _idiot_. What is he thinking?"

"He's going to protect Yuri… and Judith too, I guess…" I replied. "But… but… that means…"

"Three of them have to die…" choked out Karol. "Oh… Nan…"

"Nan?!" Rita snarled. "_That's_ the one you're concerned about?!"

"Rita… please… let's just… wait, the Voice is speaking again," I said.

"This shall be my final announcement," said the Voice of the Gods. "To each of our Districts… and to our viewing entities… there is one additional rule change to this year's Hunger Games. If the last 2, 3, or 4 tributes are from the same district, they shall be declared the victor, and the Games will end."

"No way…" Rita said, her eyes wide with shock.

I couldn't help but grin. "But then… that means…"

"They can all survive?!" exclaimed Karol. "That… that's awesome!"

"Yeah… Yuri and Judith can kick ass easy," said Rita. "And Flynn and Nan are both strong… plus Flynn and Yuri have fought alongside each other in the past. I think we might see a District 8 victory in the near future."

"This will bring us to the conclusion of this year's Reaping ceremony," Belius announced. "At this time, the Tributes will be taken to a final resting area for preparing their affairs… after which time, they will be escorted to the port and taken to the staging area for transport to the Hunger Games Arena. Please extend one final showing of our undying support to Judith, Nan, Yuri, and Flynn."

As the audience broke out into one final roar of approval and applause, I started to take Rita and Karol around to the VIP entrance. I wanted to get backstage so we had time to visit Judith, Yuri, and Flynn. The Peacekeepers didn't seem too keen on letting us through… until Ioder appeared and asserted his own authority.

"You will allow us to pass, of we shall make a formal complaint and request for inquiry to the Gods directly," he said, his eyes narrowed. "And let me assure you that your names will be included in this inquiry."

They let us through almost immediately after that. I tried to thank Ioder, but he just smiled at me and told me to go say the goodbyes I needed to say.

"Where should we go first?" asked Karol.

"Um… how about Judith? It looks like Yuri has a few visitors already…" said Rita.

I noticed a long line of former guards and lower class people from the capital, some clutching small bags or baskets of some tiny trinket to give to Yuri. Instead, we went to Judith's room. We found her sitting against the window ledge, her hand to her head, a vague smile on her face.

"I was just speaking with Ba'ul," she said. "He was worried about me, but I told him not to worry. I have no intention of losing, after all."

"Judith… you're so brave. I don't know how you're holding together…" Karol said. "I… when they called my name, I wanted to cry…"

"I do love to fight, though, so I think I will be fine," said Judith, smiling. "Um… Estelle, come here for a moment…"

Perplexed, I walked over, and Judith quickly picked up a towel and started rubbing it against my face. For a moment, I couldn't even breathe, as she scrubbed the damp cloth over my face and eyes, until Judith finally threw it against the sink in the corner. She examined my head from all angles, and then smiled.

"What was all that?" I asked.

"Your make-up was ridiculous… I wanted to see the real you one more time," said Judith. "I'm sure Yuri and Flynn will approve as well."

"So… this is it, then?" asked Rita. "We… have to say goodbye now?"

"It would seem so," said Judith. "They don't want to give us a lot of time with non-family. But… fear not, for I will return victorious. With the others as well."

"Yes, please, watch over Yuri and Flynn… they're both well-meaning but they tend to be incredibly hotheaded and can lose sight of themselves…" I pleaded.

"To be fair, Judith here has a history of that, too… remember the whole blastia-destroying phase…?" Rita reminded me.

Judith laughed. "I will do my best. And Karol, I'll try and keep Nan alive as best I can as well… even if I can't let her know I'm doing that…"

"Thank you so much…" Karol said, his eyes welling up. "I… I should probably go say good-bye to her, too…"

There was a knock on the door, and it opened to reveal the Mayor of Myorzo, as well as a Peacekeeper, who waved the rest of us out.

"Oh… hello, Grandpa," said Judith, smiling pleasantly. "Glad to see you made it."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world! Nice to see you all again," he said to us.

"A pleasure indeed," I said, bowing. "Um… we should go, then."

"See you outside!" Judith called after us.

Back in the main hallway, the line for Yuri's room had gone down considerably. A few guild members waited for their turn outside Nan's room, but nobody seemed to be waiting for Flynn's room. Rita and Karol were quiet, both lost in their own thoughts, so I spoke up.

"Where should we go next?"  
"I… I'm going to see Nan…" said Karol. "The line for Yuri is still too long and… and I want to see him last anyway…"

"I was thinking I might go see Flynn," I said. "What about you, Rita?"

"I have no need to see either of those others, so I guess I'll just go wait my turn for Yuri," said Rita. "It'll be nice to have some quiet time for a moment while I think…"

"Okay… see you soon, then," I said.

Flynn was sitting at a small table, the plate of snacks untouched, his hands folded and his brow furrowed deep in concentration when I walked in. He picked his head up and smiled at me as I came in. He stood and bowed.

"A pleasure to see you once more, Estelle," he said.

"And without my forty pounds of make-up," I added, bowing right back. "And you called me Estelle!"

"Well it is the one wish you've had for me for a while… so I figured I could make an exception this last time," said Flynn.

"But… this isn't the last time I'll see you, right?" I asked. "Between you and Yuri, you two are capable of surviving, right?"

"Oh… yes, of course," said Flynn. "I'm just relieved that they changed the rules."

"Me too," I replied. "So… um… is there anything I can do?"

"Pray for me?" he replied. "I don't know what else there is to do. Behave yourself. Don't get in trouble. Lie and tell me you're not going to go adventuring anymore once we're gone?"

I couldn't help but chuckle at those things. "Yes, I suppose I can at least make a promise about that if it'll make you feel better."

"Would you like a small snack? They brought these for me and my visitors, but you're the first one who I've really visited with," said Flynn.

"Oh… am I?" I asked. "I mean… sure, I'm hungry, but I would have thought…"

"Oh, well I mean I've had several well-wishers, but nobody I'd consider a friend. Ioder stopped by almost immediately after I got here…" said Flynn. "And don't worry, I'll see more than I can stand of Yuri in a few minutes…"

"You can say that again," I said. "Thank you."

We ate in silence for a few minutes, until there was a slight knock on the door and the Peacekeeper asked me to leave. I gave him one final wave before I walked out into the hallway. Karol and Rita sat next to Yuri's door, each looking depressed.

"Nan… it was just tough saying goodbye, you know?" said Karol.

"And I can't seem to get my thoughts together… I've rarely had this much trouble focusing, so it's really, really frustrating," said Rita.

"I can imagine…" I muttered. "Anyway… um… how about we say goodbye to Yuri now, yeah?"

"We already got chased out," said Rita. "So you can go alone if you want."

"Oh… uh… okay… if you insist," I said, gulping and stepping in past the guards outside.

Yuri's table was full of food and small toys and trinkets, just as I'd thought would happen. Yuri himself was looking out the window, to the crowd down below as they prepared for the final march through Nordopolica, to the port. As I shut the door behind me, he turned and grinned.

"Repede didn't even bark at you this time; he must like you now," he said.

I hadn't even noticed the dog hiding under the table, but Repede seemed to give me a curious look as I took a few steps in from the doorway. Yuri hopped down onto the ground and walked over towards me, still smiling, and with excitement in his eyes.

"You… uh… seem happy," I said. "All things considered."

"Can't let anyone down by looking mopey. Nothing I can do to change it now anyway," said Yuri. "I'm just worried that idiot Flynn is going to get himself killed in the arena… so I'll have to keep an eye on him."

"Hehe… he said the same about you… um… what's all that stuff, then?" I asked, pointing to the table.

"Oh… these are just well wishes from the people of the slums in the Capital," said Yuri. "They always send stuff along on the off chance someone from our neck of the woods gets chosen… and this year it was me."

"Wow… that's so much… it's so selfless of them to give when they have so little," said Estelle.

"Yeah," said Yuri. "That's why… Estelle, if something does happen to us in the Arena… promise me you're going to take care of the poor, okay?"

"I… of course… but… nothing will happen to you, right?" said Estelle. "I… I want to keep travelling with you… so… please… stay safe…"

Yuri grinned. "Don't you worry about that. When we get back, we're going to have Judy take us all around the world on Ba'ul. We've still got a lot of Terca Lumireis to see; I won't let it end just yet."

There was a knock on the door. Our time was up already; they were starting to lead the other tributes to the port. I started to feel sick, but Yuri put his arm around me and I looked up to see his usual carefree grin staring back at me. The Peacekeeper tapped his foot, but Yuri gave him a very rude sign with his left hand and instead turned to face me again.

"Yuri… you should go, you don't want to… get in trouble…" I said, struggling to once again hold my tears back.

"Hey… do me a favor… they won't let me take all those things with me to the Games. I took as much as I can get away with… but I want you to take the rest of it back to the people of the slums, okay?" he said.

"O-of course," I said. "And… please be safe."

I gave him a huge hug, which I think surprised him, but I wanted to do what I could to make him feel as safe as I could. After a few seconds he hugged me back. Finally, the Peacekeeper actually stomped over and tried to break us apart. Yuri grabbed his arm and threw him against the wall, snapping his wrist in the process.

"Hey, don't get mad at me," Yuri said, raising his arms when two others hurried in at the sound of the first Peacekeeper yowling in pain. "He put his hands on a Tribute and tried to harm me. That's a clear violation."

"He's correct. I… I may have to… ask for an inquiry," I added. "Please don't make me do that."

Yuri's grin was even wider than before as he, Flynn, Judith, and Nan were lead away from us. Ioder met up with Rita, Karol, and me, and we made our way down into the crowd, watching as the others were paraded along. The cameras continued to sweep the cheering crowds, which released a plethora of balloons and confetti, as if it was a real celebration of joy, and not a possible sentence of death. Even as they walked, Judith and Yuri continued to grin and wave; Flynn at least waved, and Nan only waved at people from the Guilds. Finally, they rounded the corner down to the ship, out of sight of the general public.

"Lady Estellise… I hate to say it, but we have to go now," said Ioder. "They want us back in the Capital as soon as possible…"

"Oh… right…" I replied. "Um… would it be okay if Rita, Karol, and Repede came with us?"

"They can certainly travel with us back to the Capital if that is what they want," said Ioder. "As to accompanying us into the palace… that may prove more difficult."

"That's fine with me," said Rita. "It's better than going back to Aspio. What about you, Karol? Dahngrest or the Empire?"

"I… uh… guess I'll go with you guys…" said Karol. "Since most of our Guild is now MIA…"

"All right… we'll depart soon. I will see you in fifteen minutes down by the unblocked side of the port," said Ioder.

After he left, we watched as the convoy of ships carrying Yuri, Judith, Flynn, and Nan pulled away from the dock and headed out to sea. We didn't talk; I was still fighting back tears now and again as waves of emotion rocked through me. Karol occasionally would sniff, and Rita remained lost in thought. Repede, to my surprise, came and sat next to me, and even let me scratch him behind the ears. Despite this, he didn't whine, so we sat quietly for a few more minutes until the ships were nothing more than dots on the horizon, carrying three of the best people I've ever known out of my life for what could possibly be forever.

**Author's Note:**

**This completes the introduction for District 8. Once the remaining introductions are uploaded for the remaining districts, I will finally be able to start writing the story of the actual games, starting with the introductory parade and interviews.**


End file.
